dididog

I just picked up a DSLR for a steal at the sales today so count me in. Be good to have something encouraging me along as I figure out how to use it properly!

Glad you all liked the frisbee shot since I had to risk my personal safety to take it

Just popping a few photos in here of the past month or so!

The vet at our local Best Friends is our regular vet for checkups and minor issues and I've found them really well informed and very accommodating of my dog's fear of vets. While I probably wouldn't use them for any major issues they're pretty cheap and always provide me with great service so while it obviously differs store to store I wouldn't discount a vet just because it's attached to a pet store.

I agree, plus who loses? Of course the meeting is on our terms and kids have to ask etc but generally we are out for a relaxed walk, can't rush anywhere with Gus especially and I have no drama stopping for a few minutes. Its usually a nice chat with the kid and their grown up and everyone leaves happy. I find as well the inner suburbs are becoming more townhouses and apartments and you don't see many big dogs about so I'm happy if its one less kid who grows up not knowing how to approach a dog or being scared of them. As well as that I like proofing my dogs against screeching kids, Gus came almost preprogrammed with a love of kids the challenge there was getting him to calm his farm and not slobber on the poor kids so for a while we sought out kids to say hi to. Rosie was slightly more nervous, keen but wary and its important to us that both dogs be able to behave around kids and don't startle at kid sounds, we have our own now but even before Oscar we have friends with kids, family with kids, its just a nonnegotiable skill for us so we worked at it. Still do. Bunnings still isn't for me though as my dogs don't have space to remove themselves if they're uncomfortable and wiggle butt would take out the shelves. Which is great and both of your prerogative, if you see someone obviously curious or interested in your dog then you can invite them to say hello, if I had a dog that enjoyed meeting strangers I'd be more than happy to do the same, in fact I'd love to be able to do that. But I'll reiterate that I think initiating interaction should be the owner's decision, not an assumed expectation from the general public. My girl is affectionate once given a few minutes to warm up to somebody but isn't interested in saying hi to people she doesn't know so I'd much rather not have to constantly be warding people off or be given dirty looks for turning someone down when I'm just standing here waiting to cross the road and not in anyway suggesting people should come and pat my dog. I think it's a general consensus on this forum that just because a dog is in public doesn't mean your dog should go up and say hi to it because not all dogs are dog friendly or because the other owner has 0 interest in socialising with unknown dogs, so why on earth should the same logic not apply with people? I also like to better proof Didi's relationship with kids, she's gone from being terrified of their every movement to not blinking an eye around screaming kids running past her at the beach or navigating amongst a hoard of kids doing after school shopping. But because I can't guarantee with 100% certainty that Didi would not react to a kid pulling her ear or poking her in the eye or any of the other weird things kids do, I will never ever let strange children interact with my dog, for both her safety and the kids safety. Paranoid yes, but just like you are both free to invite strange kids to pat your dog, I should be free to not have kids (or adults) invite themselves. In saying that though, kids are still kids. I don't take Didi anywhere that I would expect children to be in close quarters and poorly supervised (like Bunnings) and am always vigilant about where they are in relation to my dog even if their parents aren't because it's unreasonable to expect young children or dogs to not mistakes and I don't see why either of them should suffer the consequences. I think it's pretty reductive to blame a child in this instance.

Probably an unpopular opinion but I don't see why anyone should feel the need to approach a stranger's dog in public unless the dog is explicitly there for demonstration purposes or the owner is blatantly trying to encourage contact. To me it's just a matter of private property... I would not go up to a stranger and try to start using their phone or stop a cyclist and ask to take their bicycle for a quick spin. This is a concept even young children understand, or at the very least know to ask first rather than just taking or using somebody's private property. My dog is my private property (obviously she's a lot more than that, she is my best friend) but when I am out in public with her I don't see why anyone should feel the need to touch my private property. I love dogs, seeing a dog when I'm out and about makes me happy but the most I ever do is smile at the dog/owner and keep walking and I don't see why everyone else can't do that and if the owner stops and asks if you'd like a pat then sure go ahead. But personally at least I find the concept of approaching someone and their dog in public to try and pat them when the owner has not expressed any desire for you to do so, is pretty rude. I was sitting outside a cafe a few months ago with Didi and a friend, Didi's sprawled out in my lap and completely minding her own business and a grandmother walked up to us with her possibly 2yr old grandchild and said "lets go say hi to the doggy!" Didn't bother asking me first, just saw a dog and assumed she could walk right up to us and expect her and her grandchild to interact with Didi. I quite politely told her I'd rather she didn't and to just leave us be and she got extremely huffy and implied my dog was dangerous and shouldn't be allowed out in public if she wasn't 100% fine with strange children being thrust in her face. We were in nobody's way, my dog was under complete control and I was keeping an eye out for people like her and other children. Plenty of other parents had walked past with their kids, some just complimented her and kept walking and all had told their kids not to bother the dog so clearly it's not hard concept to grasp. And I think that's why we will never be like Europe, every dog I saw over there was just going about its business and nobody felt the need to interrupt, dogs in public were both normalised but also respected as not being there for everyone's entertainment.

Ours are pretty modest I suppose, I know I definitely want to be trial ready by next year and achieve RN and hopefully RA. I'd like to try for ET, I know physically we could both do it with a little more conditioning but the vet checks would probably preclude us from entering (Didi is not a fan of vet exams). Also hopefully attend some nosework classes and give Tracking a go. Outside of trialing, I would like to see significant improvement in our heelwork and get Didi's recalls even better proofed. I'd like her to be able to perform stand for exam without being nervous even if its only with an instructor she knows and likes... the ultimate ideal would be standing for exam for anyone but that seems unlikely. Mostly I just want our working relationship to get even stronger and thus our results even better, we've gotten onto a great path this year and made a lot of improvements, she's only just turned 2 and is my first dog so I don't have super high expectations, just enjoying figuring it out together :)

It's a brand new park in Ascot Vale (opposite Riverside Golf centre) that still has a construction fence around it while they wait for the grass to take, the fence has been left open in a few spots so I thought it'd be a nice quiet (ie no other dogs) place to meet! Unfortunately in the less than an hour we were there, 3 people came in and let their dogs off lead, it's pretty big so we could avoid them but I'll be disappointed if it descends into offlead chaos once properly open, there's a huge offlead reserve literally 50 metres away there is no excuse to break leash laws. But despite that the whole area around Maribyrnong River is a great place to take the dogs, two huge offlead areas (Fairbairn Reserve and Aberfeldie Park) and plenty of little on lead parks and an onlead path along the river, which is normally clean and calm enough for dogs to have a swim!

So glad you and Thistle got to have a big win today, she was so lovely I'm hoping they'll become good pals! I was also really proud of Didi today, it was nice to be reminded that despite her issues she is still really reliable around other dogs and is just very intuitive of how to behave around them

Nothing I've been absolutely slammed with uni work for the past week or so! But next Wednesday after I hand in my last assessment I'll be straight off the to pet store to buy her some toys and treats... good thing Didi has no concept of time or what birthday's are, I don't think she'll be too upset

Thanks guys, I'm pretty happy with how things are going! If we made no more progress from here on she would still live a very normal and fairly easy to manage life but I'm fairly sure as soon as uni finishes and I'm able to put more work into her that we'll make even more progress on the stranger interaction front :) Hopefully with the extra free time I can also start attempting the things I'm still sitting on the fence about!

Didi's been doing pretty well raineth! I had a pretty proud moment a few weeks ago where we went for a Sunday afternoon walk along the river which was extremely busy and she walked perfectly passed so many different people, children running around and children on scooters/bikes (which were one of her biggest problems). She only got a bit pee'd off when we were nearly done and one of those instense lycra-wearing cyclsits zoomed past us without ringing their bell. Another moment that reminded me of the progress we've made was when she laid in my lap (she still manages to do that!) while I waited on a bench outside a cafe for food and she just chilled out while parents with children and prams filtered past non-stop and stopped to speak to us (no pats tho) We still have a lot of work to do when it comes to physical interaction with strangers but she is fine with being around strangers and crowds as long as there's no expectation of pats and I don't let anyone attempt to do that unless its a controlled situation and they're interacting with her on my terms. That's the next stage we need to get over but I haven't had enough time to dedicate to it recently so I've just been managing it and making sure she has no negative interactions with strangers until I can continue more dedicated counter-conditioning. She doesn't take long to warm up to people though and once she does she's very affectionate! But yeah she's at the point where it doesn't really impact on our lives, we live in a really busy inner city area with lots of potential triggers and I walk her everyday on and offlead without much fuss though I'm still precautious and don't expect too much from her. I still haven't sat down at a cafe and had a meal with her or taken her on the train which are things I think she's probably ready for again, I just need to be a bit more confident about doing it

Thanks for all the kind words guys!! :) That's her "can I please have your toast?" face It's fairly convincing unfortunately!

Didi thanks you for the birthday shout out ;)

Didi turns two today... not really sure where all that time went but I am so glad to have this awesome lil goober in my life :) She's the sweetest, silliest thing; I can't believe this random mutt puppy I stumbled on by chance managed to be the perfect dog for us but she is This was Didi two years ago... (photo not mine, taken by the rescue) And the big baby now (she's about 45kg) And some snaps from the past few months!

I know I've offered a bit offhandedly before that Didi and I would be down to help you out but seriously Thistle if you need a calm dog and understanding human to help you work with we'd both be happy to help! Didi is very soft and calm with dogs, especially if she thinks they're scared or unsure, so if you have any ideas about an arrangement you think would be good for Thistle then I'm sure we could organise something... if you want that is Also Snook definitely don't stop posting! I only lurk in this thread nowadays, mainly because there's not much to report but I love checking in and seeing how much better Justice is doing :)

Didi's black coat soaks up the sun really badly so if it's sunny and over 30 I wouldn't walk her until the sun goes down or we'd drive to the beach. Most of our walks in summer involve a swim in the river so at least on the walk back she has evaporative cooling on her side. Didi does pretty well without a walk for a few days so on those 40+ days where even the ocean is like bath water we stay home. Saw a woman taking her Akita for an on lead run on the concrete path in the middle of the day today. The sun was so intense and it was at least 35 degrees, poor dog.

I don't think it's a stupid rule. I think it's stupid that PSOs pick and choose which dogs they enforce it on. The fact that anyone can bring their potentially aggressive dog on a train which in itself can freak dogs out on top of the fact they are in a confined space with a lot of people (some of which can be very hostile) means requiring dogs to be muzzled or crated is probably a pretty good idea. It's just a prevention method that really isnt a big deal for dog and owner to uphold. All we need is someone's unmuzzled dog to bite someone on a train and then no dogs will be allowed on. Small dogs can already go on Vline, buses and trams if crated, the train is the only option for people like me with a large dog and no license/car. I'm sure OP will probably have no issues catching the train unmuzzled, nor will their dog pose a threat to other passengers but it's a rule. I don't see the point in keeping my dog on lead in empty on lead parks since she has good recall and I pick up after her, but it's a rule so I follow it on matter of principle...

Most people with small dogs get away with it. But I have to muzzle my large dog on the train so I don't see why it should be one rule for small dog owners and another for me. Small dogs still have teeth. I would still muzzle my dog regardless because I've had people try to intentionally scare and physically provoke my dog on the train and I don't want her to be put in a position to get in trouble. And if you do get a narky PSO if your dog is muzzled they won't have a reason to be able to ask you off the train.

When I took Didi to our first obedience club as a pup all of the trainers were trying to push a front attach harness on me. I didn't know the first thing about training a dog but I did know that everyone who gave me advice about raising Didi had said to take extreme care with her joints. And when I watched the dogs wearing these front attach harnesses, the way their bodies were being contorted made me cringe. That and the fact that dogs in the higher up classes were still wearing them (and still pulling in them) put me right off the idea of trying one. I stuck with a martingale and even though she could easily overpower me, I've never needed more than a martingale and she will walk loose lead on whatever I choose to walk her in. I think they still have their merits in a training context if the dog is very hard to control, I would much rather see a dog lunging in a front attach harness than a headcollar but I think there are much better no-pull harnesses suitable for long-term use than the front attach harnesses. Imagine if everytime you walked your dog in a front attach harness you wore extremely ill-fitting shoes. I bet after a few weeks of walking in those shoes for an hour or so everyday your feet would begin to get sore and that over a longer period of time you would begin to have issues with your feet/ankles/legs...

If by dog park you mean fenced in area specifically designated for dogs then no, never use them. Mainly because I don't like the idea of them but also because there is no point for me, I live within walking distance of two awesome offlead parks. I go to one almost everyday and the other one a few times a fortnight so I know them both really well and which times or dogs to avoid. Obviously there's been a few minor disagreements between dogs, that's inevitable but as of yet the negatives don't outweigh the positives of letting her offlead (of which there are many). Keep in mind though that a lot of people who walk in offlead parks aren't going there to play with other dogs and just want to exercise their own dog in peace. I know that I get annoyed when somebody walks right over to us when we are the only other people in a huge park so their dog can play with mine so make sure the feeling's mutual before you let your dog go up to another. That's probably the most common problem I have at offlead parks, people whose dogs like other dogs so much that they will ignore their owner and run up to other dogs to play. Doesn't bother me too much, my girl is friendly and isn't fussed by rude/obnoxious dogs but I personally wouldn't be letting my dog offlead if she did that, it's asking for trouble.

I go to Aquapaws weekly. They do have an off leash fenced in section but it's not very big. People there have common sense and know not to go in with their dog if it is in use so I don't think you need a sign. Again it's small so if someone does look like they want to come in really all you have to do is say No... it literally is the size of a small suburban backyard. Maybe if you ask the owner she will let you run your dog in one of the bigger horse paddocks but the fencing is not the same as the off leash yard. Edit : Have you tried Kepala?? Their facilities would suit your needs for a secure off leash romp. Hmm. Still, even if it's small it'd be nice to introduce her to new locations and people. Our first visit will be 2nd week September :D I've not heard of kepala! But it looks like they only do pet boarding? Which would probably set her way back - strangers are scarier than dogs and if I'm not there she'll shut down Or do you reckon if I called up and asked they'd let us have a quick romp on our own? I don't mind paying, I'd just like to let her go off lead sometime and ...yknow run around without worry. Do they have a strong 'give dogs space' Policy? Sorry I'm on mobile so the site is hard to navigate XD *cautiously excited thank you!* Kepala isn't just a boarding facility they have a bunch of large grass runs, a sand run, agility course and an outdoor pool which you can book out to use whenever you want. You get the run to yourself and dogs are always onlead if not in a run, the only time you might bump into a dog is on the way to and from the car but even then I think a lot of reactive dog owners use the facility so they would give you space. On the note of offlead dogs in onlead areas.... I generally don't mind if the dog has good recall and isn't approaching us but for some reason most of the people who disobey leash laws also seem to have little control over there dogs...

Didi is very tolerant of annoying and rude behaviour and because she is generally the biggest dog in the equation I expect her not to react back to aggression and she doesn't which is good because even if a smaller dog initiated something, due to her size and breeding I'd be worried about her getting in trouble. If snapped at or lunged at by another dog she will ignore and walk away, the only times I have seen her actually defend herself with some conviction was when a big entire male Dobe grabbed her around the throat and when a Dane at training lunged at her with aggressive intent so I get the feeling she only feels inclined to respond when the other dog actually poses a threat to her - which is rare. While I think Quinn has every right to respond to aggression with aggression, I think I'd be nervous taking a dog that didn't back down easily to a dog park scenario just because there is always that risk of someone else's dog being a jerk first and even though you technically aren't in the wrong, I wouldn't want to worry about breaking up a scuffle or my dog getting injured in a fight.

Thanks for checking in and for the video Huski! I've actually been spending a bit more time on our recall and just changing her mindset from working because she sees a reward to working because she knows I will reward her (I guess trying to get her to work 'in drive' to the best of my very ameture understanding). Because even if I taught her all the Rally exercises, if she won't work well without a visible reward then we won't be able to trial! I have done a bit of work on it though and have integrated a hand lure similar to yours while using a flat target. She knows to rotate her bum end back to heel, just a matter of practicing to get it to a tight flip as she doesn't have the coordination yet - and there's a lot of booty she needs to whip around! I might try and film something in the next few days if it stops raining but I think in a week or two we will be able to get rid of the target. Our call front finish right is so tight now, she slithers behind my legs like a lil snake!

Didi gets a bone or chicken carcass for meal #1 which can be anywhwere from 7am to lunch time depending on when I wake up. If we've run out of bones or it's raining too much (she can only eat bones outside and we have no undercover area for the whimp to eat under) she just waits till her dinner meal which I'll make a bit bigger. I also prefer feeding at night so that if she hasn't had a walk or had more treats than usual I can adjust accordingly. For such a big and active dog she eats very little food so even a bit of overfeeding has an impact.